Appetizers and Mezes

Grated Radish Salad with Tahini Sauce; Tahinli Turp Salatasi

Grated radish salad with tahini dressing; Tahinli Turp Salatasi

Juicy, crunchy red radishes – turp, as we call in Turkey- add a lovely, punchy colour and a delightful peppery taste to dips and salads. In southern Turkey, in Adana region as well as in Antakya, we make a delicious, refreshing radish salad with a simple tahini sauce. We serve this Tahinli Turp Salatasi as part of a mezze spread, especially to accompany Oruk or Icli Kofte, our version of the Middle Eastern Kibbeh. The refreshing, peppery flavors of the radish salad complement the rich, nutty Oruk very well.

Delightful and easy to make radish salad with tahini sauce; tahinli turp salatasi

Tahini or Tahin, as we call it in Turkish, is a paste made from sesame seeds; it is a much loved ingredient in southern Turkish cooking as well as in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean. We use tahini in dips like hummus, salads and in baking, as in this tahini bread rolls. Most supermarkets carry tahini these days; make sure to give it a good stir before using it as it tends to separate.

Tahini makes a delicious, healthy dressing at this wonderful radish salad; tahinli turp salatasi

I hope you can give this delicious, nutritious radish salad with tahini a go; so easy to make and packed with flavor. Here I’d like to thank my talented seramic artist cousin, dear Nihal Sarioglu and Zen Ceramics in Istanbul for my beautiful plate, showcasing this lovely radish salad with tahini sauce.

Afiyet Olsun,
Ozlem

5.0 from 4 reviews

Grated Radish Salad with Tahini Sauce; Tahinli Turp Salatasi

Juicy, crunchy red radishes – turp, as we call in Turkey- add a lovely, punchy colour and a delightful peppery taste to dips and salads. In southern Turkey, in Adana region as well as in Antakya, we make a delicious, refreshing radish salad with a simple tahini sauce. We serve this Tahinli Turp Salatasi as part of a mezze spread, especially to accompany Oruk or Icli Kofte, our version of the Middle Eastern Kibbeh. Hope you enjoy it, Afiyet Olsun.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Healthy Turkish Salads with Tahini Sauce

Cuisine: Southern Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

200 gr / 7 oz. red radishes, washed and pat dried
1 clove of garlic, crushed with salt and finely chopped
Juice of 1 small lemon
15 ml/ 1 tbsp. tahini, stirred
30 ml/ 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
5 ml/ 1 tsp. cumin
5 ml/ 1 tsp. red pepper flakes or chili flakes
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Flat leaf parsley to decorate

Instructions

Clean and pat dry the radishes. Trim off the stem end and tip, keep the skin.
Grate the radishes and place in a bowl. Sprinkle some salt over and let the moisture come out, for 5 minutes.
Using an absorbent kitchen paper towel or clean tea towel, squeeze the grated radishes to get rid of the excess moisture. Later, place them in a serving bowl.
To make the tahini sauce; combine the tahini, chopped garlic, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil in a small container and mix well. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste.
Pour in this sauce over the grated radishes and combine well.
Sprinkle the ground cumin and red pepper flakes over the radish salad with tahini and decorate with flat leaf parsley.
Afiyet Olsun.

Notes

Make sure to give tahini a good stir before using it as it tends to separate.

Stuffed grapevine leaves, aubergine with lentils, Turkish flat breads and More; Let’s create a Turkish Feast; Sunday 13th December, 12 noon – 3.30pm; Divertimenti Cookery School – Hands On –

“An unforgettable evening of Turkish cookery; loved your passion, enthusiasm and clear instructions, many thanks for a great class.”

Turkish cuisine not only reflects a rich historical and cultural heritage, it is also healthy and a feast to all your senses. Kick off the festive season in style and join us for an unforgettable day of scrumptious Turkish food, history and culture at my Turkish Cookery class at Divertimenti Cookery School on Sunday 13th December, 12 noon – 3.30pm. During this Hands On class, you will be amazed to see how easy it is to recreate these delicious courses once you have a go. From courgette fritters with feta and dill, mucver, to stuffed vine leaves, yaprak sarma, from aubergines, lentils and peppers cooked in olive oil to Pide, Turkish flat breads with toppings and stuffed apricots dessert with walnuts, you will have a chance to create and enjoy an authentic, wholesome Turkish feast, great for entertaining.

We will me making Turkish oval flat breads with cheese and vegetables, Peynirli, sebzeli pide, and many more at my Dec. 13th Turkish Cookery Class

We will be making Turkish oval flat breads with cheese and vegetables, Peynirli, sebzeli pide, and many more at my Dec. 13th Turkish Cookery Class

Here’s the class details; Signing up for this class is through Divertimenti Cookery School at this link, hope you can join us!

Fasulye Pilaki; White Beans Cooked in Olive Oil with Vegetables

By Ozlem Warren on September 17, 2015 in Appetizers and Mezes, Gluten-free recipes, Vegetables Cooked in Olive Oil 14

Fasulye Pilaki, White (Cannellini beans) cooked in olive oil with vegetables

Fasulye Pilaki is a delicious and wholesome vegetarian Turkish mezze, where vegetables and white (or cannellini) beans are cooked with onions, garlic, carrot and potato in olive oil. As in the case with our Zeytinyagli dishes, the category in Turkish cuisine where we cook vegetables in olive oil, we add a little sugar to balance the flavors. We serve pilaki cold or at room temperature, garnished with parsley and wedges of lemon; the tangy, refreshing lemon juice is really a must here and complements this beans based mezze very well.

I love the ease of preparing this dish as you can prepare ahead of time; it tastes even better the next day as the flavors mature. You can serve fasulye pilaki as a side to grilled fish, meat or vegetables. It is delightful as part of a mezze spread and for lunch too. This dish is also naturally gluten-free.

Fasulye Pilaki, White (Cannellini beans) cooked in olive oil with vegetables

The gorgeous plate that serves my Fasulye Pilaki in the photo is a gift from my very talented ceramic artist cousin, dear Nihal, who co-owns the beautiful Zen Ceramics in Istanbul with other seramic artists. Zen Ceramics combines the Anatolian Culture with contemporary designs at their hand made unique porcelain objects, suitable for daily life. I count myself lucky to have a wonderful collection of their beautiful plates so my heartfelt thanks to them!

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

4.7 from 3 reviews

Fasulye Pilaki; White Beans Cooked in Olive Oil with Vegetables

Fasulye Pilaki is a delicious and wholesome vegetarian Turkish mezze, where vegetables and white (or cannellini) beans are cooked with onions, garlic, carrot and potato in olive oil, served at room temperature or cold. You can serve fasulye pilaki as a side to grilled fish, meat or vegetables. It is delightful as part of a mezze spread and for lunch too. This dish is also naturally gluten-free.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Mezzes & Vegetarian

Cuisine: Turkish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 can – 440 gr / 14 oz. of cooked white beans or cannellini beans, juice drained OR 275 gr/ 1½ cups/ 10 oz. dried white beans or cannellini beans*
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium carrot, quartered and diced in small pieces
1 medium potato, cut in small cubes
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
45 ml / 3 tablespoons of olive oil for cooking
30 ml/ 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to drizzle before serving
Handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
5 ml/ 1 tsp sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
8 fl oz. / 1 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

If using dried beans, soak the dried white or cannellini beans overnight or for at least 8 hours. Then drain the beans, rinse and transfer to a pot, filled with plenty of cold water.
Bring the pot to the boil, partially cover the pot and simmer for about 30 – 35 minutes. Make sure the beans become tender, but not soft or mushy, they should still have a bite to them. Drain and rinse the cooked beans under cold water and set them aside.
If you are using precooked beans in can, simply drain its juice and rinse under cold, running water and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in the pot and stir in the onions, sauté for 2 – 3 minutes, until they start to soften.
Add the garlic, carrots and potato, combine well and sauté for another 2 minutes. Pour in the water, cover and let them cook for 10 minutes in low to medium heat.
Stir in the beans, sugar, lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Combine well.
Turn the heat to low, cover the pan.
Simmer for another 10 – 15 minutes, until the beans and vegetables are cooked (but not mushy). Check the seasoning and add a little more salt or ground black pepper if needed.
Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the Fasulye Pilaki and let it cool in the pan, covered.
Serve Fasulye Pilaki at room temperature or cold as part of a mezze spread or appetizer, garnished with chopped parsley and wedges of lemon by the side to squeeze over.

Notes

If you are using dried beans, first soak the dried beans in plenty of water overnight. Next day, drain the water and boil the dried beans in fresh water for about 20 minutes, covered. Drain the water and set the partially cooked white beans aside (If you are using precooked white beans, simply drain the juice and rinse the beans under cold water).

Turkish Flat Breads with potato and cheese; Patatesli Gozleme

By Ozlem Warren on September 7, 2015 in Appetizers and Mezes, Savory Pastries, Turkish Breakfast, Turkish Cooking Classes, Turkish Street Food 23

Turkish stuffed flat breads with mashed potato and cheese, Patatesli, Peynirli Gozleme

We Turks love these stuffed flat breads, Gozleme. Turks were originated from Central Asia, where they drifted towards Anatolia gradually and made their home. They have been making these stuffed flat breads called Gozleme since then and they are a much loved Turkish street food and a special part of Turkish breakfast. These popular snacks are cooked quickly on a hot griddle and can be filled with various fillings.

I previously made Gozleme with spinach and cheese filling, they became hugely popular. This time I made them with mashed potatoes, cheese and parsley; a comforting, delicious combination, another winner with family and friends. This gozleme is also a wonderful way to finish up leftover cooked potatoes and bits of cheese. I used feta cheese here, you can also use Turkish white cheese, grated cheddar cheese or mozzarella. I spiced up my gozleme with a little Turkish red pepper paste, biber salcasi; you can also use red pepper flakes instead if you are after a touch of spice.

I hope you enjoy making your own Gozleme, a wholesome, delicious street food at home. They go down very well with a glass of Turkish tea, cay or ayran, traditional Turkish yoghurt drink.

Turkish stuffed flat breads with potato and cheese; Patatesli, Peynirli Gozleme

I love our savoury pastries in Turkish cuisine. Gozleme and over 90 authentic Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Signed hardback copies, as well as ebook and other options are available at this link; Signed copies are delivered worldwide including US and Canada here.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 5 reviews

Turkish Flat Breads with potato and cheese; Patatesli Gozleme

We Turks love these stuffed flat breads, Gozleme. Turks have been making these stuffed flat breads over thousand of years, they are a much loved Turkish street food and a special part of Turkish breakfast. The mashed potato, cheese and parsley proves to be a delicious, comforting filling; these gozlemes are wonderful with cup of tea or as part of mezze spread.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish Flat breads with fillings, Gozleme

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 5 gozleme, feeds 6-8

Ingredients

1lb./ 16 oz. /3 cups plain flour
8g / 1 sachet instant dried yeast
Pinch of salt
45 ml/ 3 tbsp. olive oil
30 ml/ 2 tbsp. plain natural yoghurt (preferably whole milk)
About 260 ml/ 9 fl. oz. / 1⅕ cups water
For the filling:
3 medium sized potato, cooked, skinned and mashed – about 2 ¼ cups -
5ml/1 teaspoon Turkish red pepper flakes or 2 tsp. Turkish red pepper paste (optional)
200gr/ 7 oz. Turkish white cheese or feta cheese, juice drained and crumbled.
28 gr/ 1 oz. / ½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
30 ml/2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Nonstick pan or griddle to cook the Gozleme

Instructions

Combine about 150 ml / 5 fl. oz. warm water, yeast and salt in a small bowl, stir and cover. Stand in a warm place for 5 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface.
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture, olive oil, yoghurt and the remaining (about 110 ml/ 4 fl. oz./ ½ cup) water. Using your hand, draw in the flour from the sides and work the mixture into a dough. Knead thoroughly to form a soft dough. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, knead them and roll into balls. Place the balls on a floured surface, cover with a damp cloth and leave them to rest for 30 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Mash the cooked potatoes with a fork or a masher in a large bowl. Drain the juice of the Turkish white cheese or feta cheese and crumble into the bowl. Stir in the chopped parsley, the red pepper paste or red pepper flakes (if you wish) and pour in the olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and combine all well. Your filling is ready.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each of the balls of the dough with a rolling pin into thin, flat rounds, about 40cm/16in diameter. Sprinkle a little flour as you roll the dough so that the dough won’t stick. Roll until you achieve a thin sheet of a flat round.
Fold the left and right sides of the dough in a way for the edges to meet in the middle. Spread about 2 ½ - 3 tablespoons filling into the middle part of this flat sheet. Then fold the top and bottom edges over the filling, making sure all the filling is safely covered. Press edges together well to seal. Repeat the same procedure for the rest of the dough balls.
Heat a griddle or a non-stick pan, and brush one side of the gozleme with a little olive oil and place on the pan to cook for about 2 -3 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the uncooked side with a little olive oil and then flip it over. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.
Brush both cooked sides of gozleme with a little olive oil -this will keep the gozleme moist. Cook the rest of the gozlemes the same way.
You can either roll the Gozlemes to serve, or you can cut in halves or quarters. Ayran, Turkish yoghurt drink or Turkish tea, cay would go really well next to Gozleme.